


PLAYDATE//FAKELOVE

by lesbianwaifu



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: DRC (Dream-Reality Confusion), F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, PTSD (probably), Post-V3, Suicide Attempt, TWs for major stuff should be in the notes, but yeah serious tags, featuring The Danganronpa Online Audience (it's you!probably?), featuring kaedgy akamatsu shsl bully, lots of trauma and mental abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2020-12-24 16:15:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21102320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianwaifu/pseuds/lesbianwaifu
Summary: FROM: staffmember0193@teamdanganronpa.v3TO: rantaroamami@teamdanganronpa.v3, tsumugishirogane@teamdanganronpa.v3This E-MAIL has been directed at cast members RANTARO AMAMI and TSUMUGI SHIROGANE. Please read carefully and do your best not to contest any express orders.As you must know, our Advertising and Marketing team affirms, after thorough research and data collecting, that promoting (ROMANTIC & PLATONIC) relationships between cast members post-game is a healthy business strategy!For that reason, RANTARO AMAMI and TSUMUGI SHIROGANE, you have been assigned to portray a relationship of ROMANTIC nature for [UNDEFINED] amount of time (i.e. until secondary orders!).Based off the article 13-1.2 of your contract, you are obligated to engage in said relationships and portray them as the specifications of the document attached to this E-MAIL. Please read it thoroughly.It’s expected of you to send constant reports and keep the public appearance, so do not disappoint!--Thrills! Chills! Kills!TEAM DANGANRONPA





	1. PROLOGUE

**Author's Note:**

> *SLAMS FIST ON THE TABLE* FAKE. DATING. TROPE.
> 
> I have about 14 pages of this written but I need motivation to keep going so leave some comments if you like it and I'll kick my own lazy ass to finish this (the fear of disappointing a stranger can be great motivation).
> 
> alsoo shameless self promotion, check out my art on twitter.com/krbs_v3, I mostly post fanart of danganronpa and your turn to die!  
fanfic updates/shitposting at twitter.com/lesbianwaifu_
> 
> enjoy your suffering!

Hands hovered on top of the laptop keyboard for a couple of minutes while she read the e-mail thoroughly -- bright blue eyes glancing left and right over and over behind the oval-shaped glasses. It was like the set up of an anime, and it was very likely that it was on absolute purpose. At the moment they signed their contracts, they accepted to be subjected to this sort of manipulation of their own image and privacy. 

She sighed, leaving her hands to hang heavy on top of the keys. The content of the e-mail was simple and clear: she would be assigned to be in a relationship with another member of the cast, specifically, the one she had killed during the game. They believed this would spice up the sales for content of characters that were as plain as her and lacked importance during most of the past killing game.

Tsumugi wasn't particularly excited about the idea, even though in her creative little mind the scenario of her pairing up with Rantaro for a fake relationship and actually falling in love was fun to play with. It was no more than a plot bunny, though, with very low chances of actually taking place -- why would a cool guy like him ever be interested in plain old Tsumugi? It didn't make sense to her, given they had nearly nothing in common. She didn’t understand why the fans shipped them so much.

There was nothing to complain about though, she had no choice on the matter and they had a date assigned for that very night. Tsumugi had agreed to give away every ounce of privacy once she was accepted in Danganronpa V3, and that included her love life. Regardless of how that bothered her deep inside, it was her job. 

Typing a simple OK response e-mail, she reached over to her mobile phone on the other side of the bed: 

[ Tsumugi Shirogane ]

I take it you've received the e-mail... I'm very sorry you've been assigned with me!

(｡-人-｡) Where are we going tonight? I'll do my best not to be so boring ヾ(´▽｀;)ゝ

[ Rantaro Amami ] 

Haha, don't worry bout that.

[ Rantaro Amami ]

I know a maid cafe downtown, great bubble tea selection. Heard the petit gateau there is really good, too. How's that for a date?

  


Well that was a fast text back, and a maid café? She didn't expect Rantaro to try to appeal to her tastes, but that only made sense. He was _ built _to be quite selfless, but he was probably feeling extremelly uncomfortable with the situation -- even more than her, she considered, after all, she did murder him and the memory was probably painful on its own.

When she thought back to that moment, she didn't regret any of her actions. She did what she had to do to make the game interesting for the watchers, even if it cost as much as Kaede not ever looking directly into her eyes again. She was portrayed as quite the villain and even if most of the participants didn't show, she felt like they all held a grudge against her.

It worked for the audience as well: 

_ >> Why, Shirogane-san? Why did you do that to your friends? _

That was the main question she got all the time on social media, even from her sponsors. Even from the people who met her at cosplay conventions, even for the people who only supported her for the fanservice and NSFW photoshoots TDR _ pretended _not to know about. 

_ [MASTERMINDFUCKER-13 on DanganForums] _

_ >> I'd let her kill me, she’s so hot #thiccmastermindrights _

_ [DANGAN45KURO on DanganForums] _

_ >> Shirogane could mastermind the fuck out of me! LOL _

_ [JUSTICEB0Y on DanganForums] _

_ >> Why did she have to kill the best character, though? ugh _

Why? They'd never understand the sacrifices you had to make to fully incorporate Junko Enoshima. And if she had to be hated for the role she longed for her entire life, then so be it.

[ Tsumugi Shirogane ]

Sounds exciting! ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧ Text me the address and I'll meet you at 4PM. (_๑˘ㅂ˘๑)

The cosplayer looked at her phone's clock: 3:20PM. She had a little time to get dressed. It was a first date so she probably should wear something prettier than usual. It's going to be okay, it's just work. she thought to herself. From now on it's just_ slice of life _ , the _ guro _part has gone by.


	2. CHAPTER 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW trauma, death mention.
> 
> I don't read much fanfiction anymore so I don't know what the community headcanons for post-game Tsumugi and Rantaro are, hope this interpretation is alright-  
Also this is based off a roleplay with my girlfriend which we kind of dropped but I really liked the idea. I usually play Tsumugi and next chapter is Rantaro POV so sorry if it turns out a bit lacking at that point.

As a cosplayer, Tsumugi probably took longer than any average girl to get dressed and sometimes she was even glad that Team Danganronpa liked the idea of her being the Ultimate Cosplayer, that gave her an excuse to get all the make up and clothes she wanted. Half her daily-life outfits resembled an anime or game character in some way, almost like a casual cosplay with apparently less thought put into it than it actually had.

In fact, Tsumugi never really dressed as herself. She had too much of a plain personality to begin with, and her tastes were never her own. Standing in front of the full-length mirror in her closet, she decided she was satisfied with an outfit that resembled a dating sim school girl. That would get the nerds wondering.

Once she realized, she was already five minutes late, which was a bother, but you could also see it as part of the show. She rushed downstairs and took the first taxi to the given address and in ten more minutes, she was there. 

The maid café was really pretty. Looking around at the decorated ambience and cute cat maids running around and welcoming her, those reactions of amusement were more or less genuine compared to the smile on her face when she spotted Rantaro. He smiled back, lifting his hand to scratch the back of his head. She could feel other eyes on her, and someone forgot to turn off the flash while snapping an indiscreet picture. 

"Amami-san! I'm  _ soo  _ sorry for the delay, I couldn't decide what to wear." She cupped her own cheek, a habit of hers, and lingered a bit before actually taking a seat. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Hey, no problem. I've not even been here for that long, either. It means you've put thought into this date, and I'm grateful." Another flash went off at the word 'date', and Rantaro flinched nervously for a moment, "Everything alright with you?"

She took a deep breath and sighed, rolling her eyes and leaving her purse on the table hanger. Taking quick glances around the closest tables, it was safe to assume no one was listening in too close to them and it would be okay if they spoke in a low tone. That was good, cause TDR was always on her foot for talking too loud about things she shouldn't be talking about in public to begin with. 

"I'm... well. I mean, I tried to argue back with them, you know? I knew this would put you in an uncomfortable situation, me having killed you and all" she said. It was a lie, but he didn't have to know about it. She would have tried to argue back if she knew it would be worth anything at all, but it wouldn't. It never was. They were slaves in this and there was  _ no talking back _ . "But they didn't care, it's all for the viewers, you should know."

She ran her fingers down her long hair, making sure it was still in place after the taxi drive. Then her eyes wandered to the menu in front of her and she began eyeing her options while she spoke. 

"I'm okay with this though. You're a great guy and it's sad that we didn't have a better relationship ingame." She made sure to keep her voice low. She spoke so casually that whoever was watching would think she was gossiping about the cosplay community. "I'm hoping you know I didn't have much of a choice, it was all for the greater good. I hope we can get past this."

Once Tsumugi lifted her eyes towards Rantaro again, to make sure he was following the conversation, she saw a glimpse of disdain in his eyes that contrasted with the understanding physical response. He nodded calmly, eyes going down to his own menu as he searched for his preferred drink.

"It's alright, I think this is a great opportunity to get past everything." He always spoke in a low volume, so everything came with an ease. "And to get to know you better, right? No one else we know got two seasons on their backs, so I think it's about time we veterans learn a little about ourselves."

Probably why they were having a fake date to begin with. His unsatisfying death coupled with an established fanbase for their ship and everything surrounding season 53 made fans angry, disappointed, you name it. Tsumugi saw these things first hand -- one of the Mastermind’s privileges was the extended access to the killing game database, with all sorts of audience ratings and information. And with season 54 around the corner, this was the last chance Team Danganronpa had to milk the audience’s wallets regarding V3.

There had been a tightness in Tsumugi's chest ever since they began talking, which she only realised was there once it felt less heavy. The fact that he agreed to it would make things easier, not only for Team Danganronpa but also for her. She was told about cases of competitors that refused to get into the relationships they were proposed, and things didn't usually end well.

"I'm glad we're on the same page here!" She admitted, giving him a relieved smile. She had always wanted to live that post-game fantasy in which all participants became friends afterwards, but V3 had been tough... Most students didn't interact much aside for the pre-established cliques, which left Tsumugi virtually alone. She remembered trying to get in contact with Kaede, Maki and even Tenko only to have her texts ignored. They only interacted with her during public appearances and only if the TDR staff had them on leashes.

Her eyes danced down the menu, resentful and sad, a bitter taste in her mouth -- she should probably order something sweet to get rid of that.

"I was actually afraid that you hated my guts, like everyone else." The cosplayer admitted, her voice a few tones lower than usual. As much as she didn't mind faking reactions for the sake of Danganronpa, moments like this asked for genuine feelings. She couldn’t find it in her to look up at Rantaro.

The waitress showed up, giving her an excuse to focus on something else for a second. She ordered a blueberry kiwi boba tea while Rantaro ordered a semi-sweet milkshake with grains. 

"It's... Complicated." Amami leaned back, seemed a little bit more relaxed than a moment ago. "None of us knew what was like to get a new personality in your brain, and that all the stuff we saw in the television had real implications. We shouldn't have half the problems we do." He sighed, thinking deeply. "All I know is you're not the one throwing threats at me in the negotiations reunion, and you're sure as hell not the one with the money, calling the shots over psychologists. It's not your fault, even if you were the mastermind inside the game."

It's  _ complicated _ . That sentence described the entire situation better than any other ever could. Despite the loneliness, Tsumugi was the one who was affected the least by the memory replacement. She was the one who had to be aware that it was a TV show, so even though the new personality erased the past one, she was the only one in the game who was self aware. 

And even though that was a huge advantage in terms of psychological problems, it threw a whole new pack of responsibilities on her shoulders. TDR was extremely demanding of masterminds, there was a lot of pressure involved in making the game interesting for the audience. If no one in game was willing to kill, you'd have to do it, and some people weren't ready for that. 

Tsumugi was lucky to be quite remorseless and work driven. The passion she used to have for danganronpa remained even after the personality switch, and even now she borderline worshipped Team Danganronpa despite their relentless abuses towards her. She could perfectly understand why the other participants didn't, though -- she had her own share of traumas regarding the game. Up until now, every time a message from a Staff member appeared on her phone, she had to fight off an anxiety attack.

[ from: TDR STAFF ]

We had clumsy Masterminds before, but you’re the absolute worst. How did you get yourself in that position? Killing the survivor AND pinning it on the protagonist?! Do you have ANY idea of the reflexes that will have on the show?

[ from: TDR STAFF ]

You don’t deserve to be V3’s Junko Enoshima. Hiring you was a mistake, you’re not good enough and now we see it. You’re so pathetic, the worst Mastermind in the history of danganronpa.

[ from: TDR STAFF ] 

You know that if Danganronpa V3 is a failure, it’s all on you, right?

[ from: TDR STAFF ]

Pathetic! Get your act together. If you don’t raise the ratings with this finale, it’s ‘punishment time’ for you and you’ll wish that you had died on Chapter 1.

  
  


The others criticized Tsumugi for being so compliant with the abuse, but she was blinded. She had the single chance to live her dream, and she wouldn’t give it up -- it didn’t matter if they fucked her metaphorically or literally, as long as she didn't want to see how broken that made her, she wouldn't. 

"But how about your cosplays?” Rantaro’s voice echoed deep in her skull and brought her back into reality. “You must have a lot of knowledge and a steady hand from doing them. I can see your makeup game and it's something else."

“My cosplays?” The topic change caught her by surprise, but it was a good one. The topic would help ground her back on her feet and it could lead to a lighter discussion.


	3. CHAPTER 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Rantaro musings;;  
Kaede is pretty mean (TW Suicide suggestion mention I guess)
> 
> BTW thank you for the latest kudos/comments, I was really happy ;;v;  
I have a hard time updating this regularly, but I'll do my best to post again soon!  
Feel free to @ me and complain if you feel like it cause I deserve it hsdflkdjs

After they got past preliminaries, the date wasn’t all that bad. Shirogane was really cute and somehow transparent -- Rantaro could straight up see when she was doing things for the sake of remaining in character, and when she was doing things out of her own free will. Mostly because he had the same cues and way of acting out his role. Even so, all their conversation topics seemed to go right back to Danganronpa.

He learned that Tsumugi’s cosplays were usually under Team Danganronpa’s control -- not a surprise -- and were poll-based to please the audience. Her only actual job was keeping up with the anime seasons and, well, cosplaying and performing. Rantaro told her a little about his trips and how he enjoyed going fashion events. One thing led to another, and before he could notice, their conversation was slowly growing more comfortable.

Not quite fast enough though, because at one point he looked at his phone and about three and a half hours had gone by, along with a couple drinks each and a shared petit gateau. The bill was going straight up to Team Danganronpa’s wallet, so it was not a concern, but it was getting dark outside.

“It’s getting late. Do you want me to take you home?” He asked, deep inside hoping that she would say no. He was also tired and despite enjoying her company, it was also rather emotionally draining. Maybe he would only feel safe around her with his back against a wall, because every second she left his line of sight he felt  _ slightly  _ uneasy and a shiver crept up his spine. He couldn’t afford the discomfort though, not with the current arrangements.

“Oh, I didn’t notice it was so late.” Shirogane’s eyes rolled up to the ceiling as she pondered, touching her chin with a fingertip. Her nails were perfectly done in neutral colors, he wondered if she was always that subtle with them out of cosplay. Maybe at some point he could suggest some more daring colors. “I’ll be fine, I just need to take a taxi.” 

Trying not to let the relief show through his face, Rantaro called the waitress to pay the bill. A few more uncomfortable moments, and he would be on his way home. They got up from their seats and walked slowly -- almost theatrically -- towards the exit. He could feel some cameras pointed at their direction and he was glad there were no more flashes. Those tended to make his stomach turn upside down, for obvious reasons.

“You don’t have any trips scheduled, do you?” The cosplayer asked as they walked outside. The streets downtown looked very pretty with all the soft lights and wandering people and a relaxing chilly breeze tickled their cheeks. “I think we could see each other on a weekly basis if that isn’t too harsh on you. It’s a fair amount to keep the staff satisfied.”

It was both moving and contradictory how Shirogane seemed to care about his well-being. You could hardly tell that she was the one behind an entire Killing Game script, the one who planned gruesome deaths and punishments, the one who  _ cowardly struck him from behind and murdered him in cold blood _ . And yet, she almost seemed like a normal person despite the lack of remorse.

Even so, the thought of seeing her again and reliving his trauma over and over again was quite unappetizing. The sweets from earlier had left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth, after all, a reminder that this wasn’t a one time thing.  _ Hell _ , if this worked out for Team Danganronpa they might even get them married. Didn’t that happen before in some other season? The thought got him breathless with fear, but he caught up before accidentally choking.

“Yeah, that seems alright.” he did his best to answer with a polite smile. All he wanted right now was to go home and maybe text someone about this, he needed to put it out in a healthy way, and hopefully a way that wouldn’t cause him further harm or exposure. “Since I’m not traveling soon, I suppose you’re the busiest of us so let me know when you want to go out again.” 

Shirogane smiled at him with equal politeness and her eyes glanced to the side for a moment as she waved to a taxi that was passing by.

“Thank you, Amami-san.” The words seemed more truthful than anything Shirogane ever said in 6 chapters of a killing game. And it was surprisingly obvious how genuine it was, not only because of the reasons mentioned previously, but because of how it contrasted with the behavior he had grown accustomed to see from her. Before he could answer, though, she acted on a whim: lifting up from her ankles, the girl planted a quick kiss on his cheek, lasting just long enough so he could hear the clicks of cameras around them.

_ Theatrical _ .

When she pulled away, he could almost swear he saw a glimpse of red on her cheeks -- certainly not make up, it wasn’t there earlier. This kind of trick was hard to pull, but who knew if she was really that good? A sting pierced through the back of his head, almost as a warning, and Rantaro immediately lifted his hand to touch it. However, in order to keep his act, he smiled and giggled awkwardly.

“Have a good night, Shirogane-san.” He said as she walked into the taxi.

The 15 minute walk home felt like 1 hour -- almost like a nightmare in which the path extends before you and, no matter how fast you walk, you’re fated to never reach your destination. Happily -- or unfortunately -- for Rantaro, this was no nightmare, and he arrived home after the estimated time.

The empty apartment was just as tidy as he left it. The kitchen was separated from the living room by a long granite balcony, where he left his wallet and keys as he walked in towards a large cozy sofa. Rantaro dropped his weight into it, grabbing the controller from a small white coffee table in the center to turn on the massive television across from him. He didn’t plan to watch anything, he just wanted the background noise of a less than interesting documentary to drown out his thoughts for a moment.

Pulling his mobile phone out of his pocket, he began checking social media out of habit. Ouma posted a long series of Instagram stories teaching viewers how to know if someone is lying, but ended it with him asking if they could trust those tips, after all, they could be a lie. Shinguuji had his weekly update on urban legends and Yonaga was working on a daily art challenge. A picture of Shirogane appeared on his screen as he scrolled down -- a selfie of a Work in Progress costume of a demon-like anime character. It had been posted only three minutes before, so the photo was clearly not from that day.

[shiroganesamav3] 

>> I had a sweet day today!! ꉂ (′̤ॢ∀ ू‵̤๑))ˉ̞̭♡ How are you all doing?! I’m almost done with my Demon Slayer cosplay and I’ll finish sewing it tomorrow evening on a livestream! I hope to see you there. (๑╹ڡ╹)╭ ～ ♡

Rantaro tapped the picture and scrolled down to the comments. It didn’t surprise him to find a couple of comments about them already.

[kuroneko111]

>> aaa~ you’re the perfect Nezuko, Shirogane-sama!! ε=(｡♡ˇд ˇ♡｡）

[dangonigiri94] 

>> You were with Amami-san today, right?!? My ranmugi heart is throbbing with excitement!!!!

[mudamugi9]

>>> RIGHT! My friend saw them together and tweeted a picture! (灬ºωº灬)♡ I wonder if they’re dating?!

[kokogir1]

>>>> I hope so… I ship them so hard… I hope it’s not a bait…

The amount of exposure was overwhelming. Rantaro barely posted on social media and he wondered how the more active of his classmates did it: his stomach seemed to have taken five different turns throughout those few comments he read and it was tempting to just get rid of all social media altogether. Oh! If only he could do that and not be bombarded by e-mails from Team Danganronpa.

Suddenly, a notification popped up on the top of his screen. He tapped it and was redirected to his messaging app.

[ Kaede Akamatsu ]

hey me and miu are going out next weekend u wanna come?

[ Rantaro Amami ] 

I have to check with staff if I can. I got paired up with Shirogane so I’m not sure if they’re ok with me going out with the other girls until a relationship is established

[ Kaede Akamatsu ]

W HA T

YOU GOT SHIPPED

WITH THE WEEB

I’M SO SORRY LOL

[ Rantaro Amami ]

Yeah I dunno how to feel bout that

[ Kaede Akamatsu ] 

throw a tamtrum??? like they already control everything in our lives they could give u a break

u’ve been on 2 seasons already they gotta let the fuck go

fuck man. It owuld be better to be paired up with shinguuji than her, shirogane is just ew

[ Rantaro Amami ]

You know it doesn’t work like that haha

We had a chill talk today, she said she won’t do anything that makes me uncomfortable

So I think it’s cool

[ Kaede Akamatsu ]

heer very existence makes everyone in the cast uncomfortable

she could just kill herself tbh

or she could die of cosppx

cospox* 

It would be highly appropriate lol

[ Rantaro Amami ] 

Haha don’t say that

[ Kaede Akamatsu ] 

she literally killed both of us 

If someone has the right to be mad about this is you and me

I can message staff and suggest to pair you up with me instead if u want

especially cause I overheard they were thinking of pairing me with saihara and I already see enough of him as a protagonist

[ Rantaro Amami ]

Thanks but I think I’m good 

[ Kaede Akamatsu ]

Lol k then. good luck with the crazy bitch.

Dropping the phone on his chest, Rantaro stared at the ceiling for a long while. As much as he enjoyed spending time with Akamatsu, she could be quite the bully sometimes. It seemed like her pre-killing game personality was stronger than the one that replaced it, because it turned out to be dominant afterwards. That got him wondering about what he was actually like when he applied to V2, but the memories were all shredded and confusing. 

His phone beeped once more, and he lifted it up to see what it was, thinking that maybe Akamatsu forgot to say something. Instead, it was a text from Shirogane.

[ Tsumugi Shirogane ]

Thank you for putting up with me today. Despite all, I had fun with you! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

[ Rantaro Amami ] 

Don’t sweat it! It was nice

  
  


Fingers quickly typed a polite and appropriate response, but after sending it, Rantaro stared at the screen for a while, thoughtfully. Maybe he was letting his traumas get in the way. Shirogane seemed to be respectful of his boundaries and a cheerful companion. He didn’t have a say on whether he was going to do this or not, but he could choose to go in with an open mind and heart, and that was probably the best choice.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone!   
Sorry for the wait ;;;  
Listen....... my craft is a slow one...... but I'm doing my best.....

A couple of days had gone by since the first date, and Tsumugi had been caught up with work. She didn’t forget about her new relationship with Rantaro, especially because of all the buzz that was created online due to her kissing his cheek on their first date. The paparazzi quickly spread photos of them all over the internet and every single danganronpa gossip forum was filled with theories.

No,  _ she didn’t forget _ about it, but she was also too afraid to keep a conversation with him over text. She was anything but dumb -- she saw on first hand the kind of reaction he had to her throughout that conversation in the Maid Café and as much as Rantaro was trying to look like he was fine with it, she knew the damage was irreversible. Tsumugi knew that that was precisely the reason why none of the others wanted her around: she was the root of all their trauma.

A bit unfair, if you ask her. Not even Makoto Naegi was that harsh on the original Junko Enoshima.

With a sigh, she paused the anime she had been watching, realizing she wasn’t paying the slightest attention. Tsumugi threw her laptop to the other side of the large king size bed and grabbed her phone, opening up the contacts list and hovering her thumb over the picture of the green haired boy. She could see a faint reflection of her face on the screen: no makeup and messy hair tied up on a loose bun. 

Maybe she should just leave him alone. They would play out the perfect couple whenever their assigned dates were, she would act out the cutesy girlfriend the fans wanted to see, and satisfy their bosses’ wishes, but have no other contact other than that. It would be a purely fictional relationship -- _ no real fiction _ . Just fake love and play dates.

Thin eyebrows dropped down on her forehead. Why did that bother her so much? She thought that she had come to terms with the fact that she was fine all on her own. There was no need to become friends with the other members of the cast when they clearly despised the sight of her. She’d achieved her goal: to be V3’s Junko Enoshima, nothing else mattered. But then.

_ Why did she feel so lonely all the time? _

Drowning herself in work, marathoning anime for days in a row, showing up to cosplay photoshoots, getting several proposals for reviewing action figures, make up, reading new manga, playing all the new visual novels, livestreaming, talking to fans, updating social media… All these things kept her overwhelmingly busy, and yet, none of them filled the single spot in her heart that  _ sometimes  _ still wondered if it was all worth it.

Maybe because none of these things could comfort her during her 3am panic attacks when all she could feel was _ heart-wrenching remorse and pain _ , when she entered her _ deepest state of derealization _ and simply couldn’t distinguish  _ reality from fiction _ .

Tsumugi only brought that up once with the certified Team Danganronpa therapist, but his words weren’t all that encouraging. 

“Isn’t that a little  _ ungrateful _ ?” He asked her, looking up from his notes back at her -- his gaze lingered for a second on her chest area before fixating on her face once again. This had been happening so often that Tsumugi just stopped caring. “You’re in a very privileged spot, Shirogane-san. Millions of people across the country applied to the same role that  _ you  _ were so lucky to get.”

“I understand that, and I’m not questioning it, it’s just…” She protested. That didn’t sound like something a therapist should be saying, but he probably knew better. 

He scoffed. 

“If you understand it, you shouldn’t complain about it. Data shows that most Masterminds don’t remain friends with the remaining cast after the game.” --  _ The same internal data that shows that the suicide attempt rate amongst Danganronpa cast members post-game is over 74%? _ \-- “If you didn’t want to end up alone, why didn’t you apply to the role of protagonist?” 

“Because I’m too plain for that. I’d never be accepted.” Needless to say, she dropped therapy shortly after the post-game obligatory period expired. 

She turned around in bed, stomach against the mattress as she removed her glasses off her face and rubbed the back of her hand against her tired eyes. She didn’t only deserve this loneliness, she  _ earned  _ it. It came hand-in-hand with her wishes and contesting it only meant disregarding everything she worked so hard for.

A beep and vibration from her phone grounded her back into the present. She sighed and put her glasses back on only to stare at her phone wide eyed.

[ Rantaro Amami ]

Hey, been a while. What are you up to?

Was this the first time another cast member messaged her first? She thought back on the small number of times she interacted with the others via text and she couldn’t think of a single time she wasn’t the one starting out the conversation only to have it die ten minutes later. Her heart immediately started hammering in her chest and she felt her hands get sweaty against the cute anime phone case.

“Okay, okay, mugi. You can’t fuck this up now.” She murmured to herself as she typed a response.

[ Tsumugi Shirogane ] 

Amami-san! What a surprise Σ(･口･) I’ve been doing great, just busy with work! Sorry that I didn’t text you at all! How are you?

Was that alright? She read the text over and over until she gathered the courage to press send. Sitting up straight in bed, she stared at the screen, watching as the speech bubbles popped up and anxiety begun boiling in her blood. 

[ Rantaro Amami ] 

I’m alright! I was wondering bout that.

Wanna hang out tomorrow?

[ Tsumugi Shirogane ] 

YES!! 

I mean- (๑ּగ⌄ּగ๑) of course, that sounds fun! What are we doing?

[ Rantaro Amami ] 

Well, I didn’t think that far hahaha

Tsumugi giggled a bit. Rantaro’s carelessness was refreshing. Often times people said she looked like a very calm and collected person, but she was often filled with anxiety and fears. The only times she was truly confident was when she was in cosplay, and she could just act away her concerns.

[ Tsumugi Shirogane ]

What about we have a picnic? (●˙꒳˙●) I’ll meet you at the park at 2PM, is that okay?

[ Rantaro Amami ]

That sounds great! I can’t wait!

Pressing her phone against her chest, Tsumugi dropped her back onto the mattress with a huge grin on her lips. She couldn’t believe she was actually getting a second shot at this! Rantaro, of all people, texted her  _ first  _ and wanted to hang out! That was amazing! But then it hit her.

_ Oh. Right. _

_ This is just work. _

The smile faded away from her face as her heart sunk down to her stomach. He was only texting her because he  _ had  _ to. He didn’t want to talk to her, he likely hated her just like the others. She accidentally let herself slip into the illusion that she might be befriending someone when, in reality, it was all just an act.

_ How stupid. _

A notification noise popped from her phone and she lifted it back up to her sight.

[ Rantaro Amami ]

(｡☉౪ ⊙｡)

I downloaded a kaomoji app but I don’t really get it 

Tsumugi scoffed as the warmth grew back into her chest. Was this delusional? To find comfort in such small things? Or was he being misleading on purpose? Well, maybe… maybe he was just being  _ kind _ , after all. 

And she didn’t get much of that, to begin with.

[ Tsumugi Shirogane ] 

That’s a weird one!!

I’ll teach you how to make cute ones tomorrow ( ˊᵕˋ )♡.°⑅

Maybe she would indulge herself in her illusions once more. What was the harm on it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way... do you like picnics?


End file.
